Anthropic Tightens AI Access Controls After Reports of China-Based Workarounds 
Tesla Q2 Deliveries Lift Chinese Auto Suppliers as EV Demand Improves 
Super Micro Shares Slide After Taiwan Raids Over Alleged Nvidia AI Chip Smuggling Probe 
Microsoft Reportedly Plans New Job Cuts Across Sales, Consulting, and Xbox 
South Korea Alleges Google Abused Android App Store Dominance, Eyes Major Fine 
EU Chip Industry Faces Growing Risks From China Export Controls and U.S. Technology Dependence: Report 
Meta Stock Jumps as AI Cloud Expansion Challenges AWS, Microsoft, and Google 
Kawasaki Heavy Shares Slide on Report of ¥200 Billion Capital Raise Plan 
Chip Stocks Rally as Samsung and SK Hynix’s $1.3 Trillion Investment Plan Boosts AI Optimism 
Suncorp Cuts 2026 Premium Growth Forecast as Australia, New Zealand Markets Weaken 
Kioxia Bets on AI Memory Boom With Next-Gen NAND Production in Japan 
BHP Workers Approve New Labour Agreement at WA Iron Ore Operations 
Apple Challenges India Antitrust Probe, Says CCI Copied Rivals’ Claims in App Store Case 
Northern Star Appoints New CEO as Activist Elliott Pushes for Leadership Overhaul 
ShareChat Eyes 2027 IPO After Reaching Operational Profitability, Report Says 
Kuaishou Stock Jumps as Kling AI Secures $2 Billion Funding Round 
Google has urged Britain's antitrust regulator, the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority), to take action against Microsoft. The tech giant claims that Microsoft's business practices have put its rivals at a significant disadvantage in the market.
CMA Investigation into Britain's Cloud Computing Industry
Reuters reported that the CMA launched an investigation into the cloud computing industry in Britain following a referral from media regulator Ofcom. This referral highlighted the dominance of Amazon and Microsoft, specifically AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Azure. These two companies combined had a market share of 70-80% in 2022, while Google's cloud division accounted for only 5-10%, per Market Screener.
Google's letter to the CMA emphasized that Microsoft's licensing practices unfairly discouraged customers from using competitor services. Even when customers preferred rivals' prices, quality, security, innovations, and features, the licensing restrictions left them with no economically reasonable alternative but to use Azure.
Impact on Customers and Competition
Google stated that Microsoft's practices directly harmed customers and were the primary barrier to competition in Britain's cloud computing market. While Microsoft implemented changes to address concerns, rivals, including Google, remained dissatisfied. The company argued that Microsoft's practices would lead to fewer cloud providers, stifling innovation and shrinking investments.
Google Cloud Vice President Amit Zavery criticized Microsoft's practices and expressed his company's commitment to a multi-cloud approach. Google emphasized the importance of allowing customers to move between cloud providers quickly based on their needs. Interoperability between various software and cloud services is vital in fostering innovation.
A key issue at the heart of the matter is Microsoft's updated terms for using software licenses in the cloud. This change resulted in higher costs for customers who opted for Google or AWS instead of Azure. Zavery highlighted that AWS consumers did not face this restriction, emphasizing the need for fair competition in the market.
Google's Recommendations to the CMA
Google proposed six recommendations to the CMA to improve the competitiveness of the cloud computing market. These include enforcing better interoperability for Azure customers using other cloud services and banning Microsoft from withholding security updates for customers who switch providers.
Photo: Google France Newsroom
